


like romeo and juliet

by thesunandthestars



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Betty misses Jughead, But there’s some fluff I guess, F/M, How did this get to be over 4K words, Jughead misses Betty, Kinda a continuation of 3x08, Pretty angsty whoops, Rated T for minor cursing, That stupid quarantine is in the way of my ship, These two nerds are so in love it hurts, Why must you do this Hiram Lodge??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-29 09:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17200979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesunandthestars/pseuds/thesunandthestars
Summary: “I guess we’re really like Romeo and Juliet this time,” he says, waiting for her reaction.Betty laughs through her nose and leans back just far enough to smile sadly at Jughead. The look makes Jughead’s heart clench. “But we live happily ever after instead.”After Jughead discovers that Riverdale has been quarantined, he searches for a plan to assure Betty’s safety before it’s too late.





	like romeo and juliet

Jughead feels like he’s living a nightmare.

It’s nearly the middle of the night, the crisp autumn air biting at his cheeks and hands, and Jughead stares at the police barricade closing Riverdale off from the rest of the world and from him. The huge orange strip stretching across the sign declaring Riverdale as “the town with pep!” taunts him, its implications carving a hole in his chest. _Town under quarantine_ , it reads. 

Beside him, his father exhales slowly, no doubt wondering what to do about this unfortunate turn of events. They’ve both been standing there for a good thirty seconds already, just letting it all sink in, and Jughead growls under his breath when the police yell at them to leave yet again. 

“C’mon, Jughead.” His father’s voice startles him out of his thoughts. FP makes a wide arc with his hand, gesturing for Jughead to follow him back to their bikes. “Let’s go back to Gladys’s and decide what to do next.”

But Jughead doesn’t want to leave just yet. He can’t. His friends are behind that fence, stuck in a town that over the course of the past year has become the literal definition of hell. More importantly, _Betty_ is stuck there, his girlfriend, whom he hasn’t heard from in weeks. He might know that the town is quarantined, but he has no idea what is going on _inside_. He has no way of knowing if the inhabitants of Riverdale are safe, locked up in their own town.

“Jughead,” FP repeats, already straddling his motorcycle, helmet clipped into place on his head. “This isn’t goodbye. We’ll figure out how to get back in there, okay?”

Jughead turns to his dad and away from the huge chain link fence towering over him warningly. He hates to admit it, but there’s nothing he can do. There’s no way he’ll be able to climb over that fence, and even if he could the police would have ten bullets in his back before his foot touched the ground on the other side. 

He hops back on his motorcycle and sticks the helmet on his head, grinding his teeth. Jughead doesn’t look back as he revs the engine and takes off down the dimly lit road, but he swears he can feel the policemen’s triumphant grins burning into the back of his head. They’re obviously Hiram’s men, hired to keep the people of Riverdale locked up, and at the same time keep any curious visitors’ noses out of his evil doing. 

Jughead doesn’t need to ask to know where they’re going. The only place that would accept two leather-jacket sporting men in the dead of night is his mom’s place, after all. And so they make their way back to Toledo, the winding roads and misty rain the only distraction from Jughead’s thoughts. 

Jughead spots the sign reading _Welcome to Toledo_ as the early morning light begins to peek over the horizon. He’s been riding on his motorcycle for hours, the only stop being the brief one right before Riverdale, and he’s definitely starting to feel it. His butt is numb, he’s shivering, and his eyes are threatening to slip shut. It’s a relief when they finally pull up in front of the gate with the block letters declaring _Jones’ Yard_. 

Jellybean’s blonde head pokes out from behind a stack of assorted car parts, a puzzled look twisting her lips. “Jughead?” She’s holding a wrench and sporting an oil-stained jacket. 

“Yeah, it’s me. And dad.” Jughead hops off his motorcycle and watches as Jellybean swings the gate open for him and FP. 

“What are you doing back here?” She stifles a yawn and waves them inside the fence. 

It’s then that Jughead notices his little sister’s unkempt hair and tired eyes. He’ll answer her question later. Right now, he’s a concerned older brother—something he doesn’t have much experience with, but he’ll do his best. “What are you doing awake in the early hours of the morning?”

Jellybean sighs. “I couldn’t sleep. I thought I might as well keep busy.” She twirls the wrench in her hand. Her blonde ponytail, red bandanna tied in a knot on her head, and knack for mechanics reminds Jughead of Betty, his heart twisting in longing.

“You look exhausted too, you know.” Jellybean’s eyebrow is resting high on her forehead, and Jughead is struck by how much she’s grown. It feels like just yesterday when Jellybean was waddling around, with pink chubby cheeks and that sweet smile only children possess. It hurts a little bit, knowing that his baby sister grew up without him. 

“We’ve been up all night, Jelly.” FP’s voice startles Jughead. His voice is low and gravely, and Jughead realizes with a start that his father has probably gone without sleep even longer than Jughead has. 

“Then come inside and get some sleep.”

Gladys Jones is standing in the middle of the yard, arms crossed in front of her chest. It’s such a relief to see her—even though he saw her a few hours ago, and even though she left him when he needed her most—that Jughead feels his lips twitch. 

“You too, JB,” Gladys adds, shooting a pointed look at her daughter, who sighs deeply in response. She obeys, however, slipping back into the house. 

“What’s going on?” Gladys steps forward to meet them just inside the fence. Her eyes are tired and worried, and Jughead immediately regrets showing up at the crack of dawn on a motorcycle and probably waking half the town. “Is there something going on in Riverdale?” his mom continues, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. 

FP laughs bitterly at her question, no doubt thinking the same thing Jughead is. “Yes, actually. Hiram Lodge has the town under quarantine.” He grits his teeth and it occurs to Jughead for the first time just how much Riverdale means to his father. It’s the town in which he grew up, where he was the Serpent King for decades, where he first met his now estranged wife. It’s FP’s home, and he’s worried, whether he wants to admit it out loud or not. 

Gladys sucks in a breath through her teeth. “I’m not surprised. That man has always been able to find a way to get what he wants, even as a teenager.” She rolls her eyes, and Jughead has no doubt she’s remembering Hiram from high school, the last time she saw him. 

“Well,” she continues after a long silence, “come inside and get some rest. You two are acting like zombies.” Gladys waves them into the house and gestures to the two couches, which are still made from Jughead and Archie’s brief stay. 

Jughead collapses onto the couch, fingers curling in the sheets laid out for him and eyes slipping shut. He is _exhausted_ , more so than he’s been in a while. Archie’s situation and Betty not answering his calls and now Riverdale’s situation—it’s all winding him up and burning him out. 

It doesn’t take long for Jughead to fall into a restless sleep, Betty’s beautiful face ever present in his mind, begging him to come home. 

 

-

 

“Hi, it’s Betty. Sorry I couldn't make it to the phone, please leave a message. Thanks!”

Jughead drags a hand down his face, thoroughly disappointed. It’s been weeks now, and Betty still isn’t answering or returning his calls. He called Veronica once, when Archie was there, to ask her to check in on Betty, who told him that she had no idea where the blonde was but that Alice was back in town, a sure sign that Betty would show up as well. 

The ever-so familiar _beep_ sounds in his ear and he glances to his right, where Jellybean waits patiently. He had told her about Betty and her knack for mechanics, and Jellybean had practically begged her brother to call his girlfriend so they could talk. 

“Hey, Betty,” he starts, and Jellybean perks up, thinking that Betty has answered. Jughead shakes his head slightly before continuing his message, and Jellybean presses her lips together in disappointment. “I just wanted to check in on you, make sure you’re doing okay. Are you in Riverdale? Because if not, you probably don’t know that it’s under quarantine thanks to our good friend Hiram Lodge.” He can’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “But if you are, you’re well aware of that. I hope you’re okay, Betts. I-”

“Hello?” A familiar voice cuts him off, and Jughead’s body floods with relief. _Betty_. 

“Betty,” he says, her name escaping his lips like a sigh. It feels so good to hear her voice again that he almost laughs with relief, all the tension draining out of his body as he leans against the counter. “It’s me.”

“Jug!” Her voice comes out strangled but ecstatic. She laughs wetly and Jughead feels his mouth stretching into a grin. It’s probably the cheesiest grin ever, but since it’s because of Betty he couldn’t care less. “Jug. You have no idea how much I missed you.”

Jughead bites his lip to taper his ever-growing grin. “I might have some idea.” 

She laughs again, and Jughead swears it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard. God. He can’t help himself, not when it’s her. “I-Juggie, where are you?”

“Toledo,” he answers simply. “At my mom’s. Dad and I tried to get back to Riverdale but we were stopped by the police barricade.” He’s still not sure if Betty knows about the quarantine, but he doesn’t feel like explaining just yet. He just wants to hear her voice as much as possible. 

Betty sighs. “Of course. I’m stuck in here and you’re stuck out there.” He hears some shuffling and then the phone is back up to her ear. “I’m so, so sorry, Juggie. I was at the Sisters for two weeks and I didn’t have my phone.”

His heart plummets in his chest. _That’s_ why she wasn’t answering his calls! All along, she was locked up in a crazy house, being brainwashed by deranged nuns, and he did nothing. She was in _danger_ , and he did nothing. 

“Hey.” Betty’s voice is back, and this time it feels like a slap. _He did nothing._ “Jug.” It’s proof that she knows him too well, that they’re soulmates, as Veronica would say, because she says, “Don’t beat yourself up. You didn’t know.”

She’s right. He didn’t know. But there’s still a hole burning in Jughead’s chest, and he feels _horrible_ that he wasn’t there for her when she needed him. “I could have done something, Betty. I could have prevented all this.”

“Jughead.” She sounds like she’s crying again, but upset tears instead of joyful ones, and Jughead winces. “You didn’t know, Jug. It’s okay. You were helping Archie—which by the way, I’m so grateful for that.” She laughs through her nose humorlessly. 

Betty’s words can’t bury his guilt, but he accepts the sentiment anyway and smiles even though she can’t see him. “I love you, Betts.”

He can practically feel Betty’s grin from miles away. “I love you too, Juggie.” 

Jellybean is still listening intently to the conversation—Jughead’s half, at least—and her lips curl upward when she hears Jughead’s declaration of love. Jughead is barely able to compress a smirk. Jellybean Jones, the toughest teen mechanic in Toledo, is a hopeless romantic at heart? She really is his sister, Jughead muses. 

“Jug?” 

Betty’s voice startles Jughead out of his thoughts, and he focuses his attention back on the phone call. “Still here,” he replies, curling the phone’s cord around his finger. “I-I need to see you.”

He hears Betty’s long exhale, knowing that she’s racking her brain for a way to make that possible. “I know,” she says after a short silence. “Me too.” She laughs bitterly. “Jug, I know it’s only been two weeks since you left with Archie and my mom sent me to the Sisters—” she sounds like she’s gritting her teeth, still not entirely believing that her own mother could do something like that to her “—but it feels like it’s been a lifetime.” Her voice breaks, and Jughead feels the wound in his chest tear open again. 

He wants to see her. He _needs_ to see her. This is Betty Cooper, the girl who looks at him like he’s a drop of water in the middle of an endless, unforgiving desert. The girl who wholly embraces him for all his flaws, for all of the regrettable things he’s done. She’s one of the only people in the world that truly loves him—all of him; the good and the bad, the light and the dark. 

But how in the world is he supposed to see her? They’re separated by several miles and a large chain link fence. And the man responsible for it all will do anything to get what he wants. Hell, Hiram Lodge has already cost his only daughter several nights of tears while she mourns how her father continues to take everything away from her and from her friends. And Jughead knows this isn’t the end. He’d have to be stupid to think that quarantining the town is the last step in Hiram’s plan. There’s more to come, and it won’t be pretty. 

If only that damn fence wasn’t in his way. 

“Wait,” Jughead blurts into the phone, a plan forming in his mind. There had to be some section of the fence that wasn’t swarming with Hiram Lodge-appointed policemen. “Meet me at the fence in six hours.” Jughead glances out the kitchen window at the mid-morning sun, guessing it’s about ten in the morning. “We’ll have to find some part of the fence that’s not blocked by guards, and then we can talk.”

Betty’s quiet for a few beats, and Jughead can practically hear the gears in her head turning. Will his plan even work? Honestly, there’s a good chance it won’t, but he’s desperate and will do anything to see her again, even if it’s only for a moment. He knows that it’s a bit disappointing that they’ll be separated by the fence—scratch that, very disappointing—but it’s better than nothing. He’s sick and tired of lying awake at night, not knowing the next time he'll be able to feel her soft skin under his fingertips. 

“Okay,” she responds finally, and even though Jughead knows it won’t be enough to finally touch her and taste her and fill the void her absence has left in his heart, he’s glad he made the suggestion. “I’ll be there.”

“Okay,” Jughead parrots, stalling. He really doesn’t want to hang up the phone, to say goodbye, and it’s clear Betty doesn’t either, if the fact that she’s silent and still on the line is any indication. “I’ll see you soon, Betts.” He can’t bring himself to say _goodbye._

“See you soon, Juggie.” Her voice is wavering once more, and Jughead squeezes his eyes shut, reminding himself that this isn’t goodbye. He’ll see her soon, and then he’ll find a way to get past that fence and into her waiting arms. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” It’s a promise. 

 

-

 

The road to Riverdale is long and winding, not another vehicle in sight as Jughead speeds toward his hometown, FP on his tail. Jughead still isn’t sure exactly how he managed to convince his father to let him go to see Betty at the fence, but here they are. God, he hopes that this plan isn’t a bust. He’s been missing her for over two weeks and this is the most hope he’s allowed himself to feel in that time. It’d be beyond disappointing if Hiram’s cronies catch them and force them away from each other. 

It’s only mid-afternoon, so the fence and the sign welcoming them to Riverdale can clearly be spotted even from several meters away. Jughead reduces speed and turns off the road, glancing over his shoulder quickly to make sure FP is following. 

Jughead ducks and narrowly misses a tree branch, slowing down even more to avoid any more close calls. It only takes a minute for him to arrive at the fence, and he prays that the policemen still stationed at the fence cannot hear his motorcycle engine. They’re only a few meters away, and Jughead can clearly see their figures, even through the thick forest. 

“What time did you say you were going to meet Betty?” FP asks, climbing off of his motorcycle and joining Jughead at the fence. 

“Four,” Jughead replies simply, sticking his hand in the pocket of his sherpa jacket and pulling out his cellphone. The screen comes to life, reading _3:58._ Right on time. 

Sure enough, a familiar figure appears out of the shadows a few minutes later, cautiously making her way to the fence. Betty glances over her shoulder and then back at the fence, where she spots Jughead and breaks into a sprint. She’s at the fence in seconds, and Jughead steps up to curl his fingers in the holes created by the chain link. 

Even though everything is heavily shadowed by the thick tree growth, Jughead can still see the tears slipping down Betty’s cheeks. “Oh my God,” she says, laughing and sniffling and wiping at her eyes furiously. Her hands find the fence and she presses her palms against it like in the movies. Jughead copies the gesture, relishing the feeling of her warm skin under his.

In the dim light Betty looks almost angelic, her iconic blonde ponytail replaced by loose waves framing her face. She’s wearing one of her classic sweaters, a pale blue one, and there’s a leaf stuck to her shoulder. Jughead itches to reach out and brush the leaf off of her sweater and to cup her face in his hands, but the fence is in the way and he can’t do much else besides press his hands to the fence like Betty is doing. 

Jughead leans his forehead against the fence and Betty does the same. He’s so close he can feel her warm breath on his lips. Close, but not close enough. 

“Jug,” Betty murmurs after a lengthy silence, the two of them simply breathing each other in. “God, I missed you. Talking to you on the phone earlier just wasn’t the same as actually _seeing_ you.” She laughs softly and curls her fingers so that they’re touching Jughead’s, as close as they can get to holding hands. 

“I know,” Jughead replies softly, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the frustrated tears that are threatening to fall. He never cries, not really, but he’s so angry at Hiram for everything—for accusing Archie of murder, which meant Jughead had to leave his girlfriend to help Archie; for inspiring fear in Alice Cooper and making her think that sending her daughter to a crazy house would keep her safe; and for this damn fence that was keeping him and Betty apart. 

It’s almost cliché, them being separated by a fence. Like Romeo and Juliet, Jughead muses, remembering how Betty once compared the two of them to the famous couple. He wonders if she still remembers that. “I guess we’re really like Romeo and Juliet this time,” he says, waiting for her reaction. 

Betty laughs through her nose and leans back just far enough to smile sadly at Jughead. The look makes Jughead’s heart clench. “But we live happily ever after instead,” Betty replies, quoting the exact words she’d said to him during all of the Black Hood nonsense earlier that year. 

He asks about the Sisters and she tells him about everything that’s happened since he’s been gone. She tells him about how she’s been discovering more and more about the Gargoyle King, and he winces as she recalls everything that’s happened in the last year. 

How is it fair that they have to go through all of this? More specifically, how is it fair that _Betty_ has to go through all of this? He knows, better than anyone, just how hard the world is on Betty. He knows just how much she tries to please her mother and her teachers, all of whom expect perfection from her. And then Jason Blossom’s murder and the Black Hood killings and now Hiram Lodge’s plot to take over Riverdale? It’s all too much for her, Jughead knows. He doesn’t want to watch her topple over the edge, not again. 

Her breaths are even and full, and by the way her face is relaxed Jughead can tell this is the most at peace she’s felt in weeks. His heart aches when he remembers that this look on her face won’t last. They’re separated by a fence, goddammit. He’ll have to leave eventually, leave her behind, trapped in the very town that they once believed to be safe. 

Betty’s eyes flutter open and she smiles lovingly at him. She’s here and she’s happy but Jughead can see the angry crescent marks on her palms and he bites his lip in fear of suddenly doing something rash. Jughead hates that she’s in pain. He hates that all the tension in her life causes her to do this to herself, and he hates that he hasn’t been better about doing something about it. 

Betty shoots a worried look at him, and he’s immediately aware that he’s been grinding his teeth. There are a million things he wants to say, the words threatening to spill off of the top of his tongue, but he simply exhales and looks up, an idea forming. “Do you think you could climb the fence?”

Betty seems like she was expecting him to say something else, but she follows his gaze to the top of the fence. She sighs. “I don’t know, Juggie. I-I don’t think so.”

It was a stupid idea, Jughead knows. The fence looms over them, at least thirty feet in the air, and Betty’s wearing a pair of canvas shoes. Even if she did make it to the top, Jughead is afraid she’d fall due to both her lack of practice climbing fences and her lack of proper footwear. Plus, the policemen might catch her, and once she’s on the fence there’s nowhere to run. 

He needs to get her out of Riverdale. The question is, how?

Jughead hates to admit it, but he needs some time to think. Plus, he’s exhausted, having been up the night before and getting very little sleep in the morning. 

“Betty,” he starts, and her gaze meets his. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

She doesn’t seem to understand what he’s saying at first, but slowly it dawns on her and she recoils like she’s been slapped. 

“Hey,” he says quickly, trying to comfort her. “Betty. It’s okay. It’s just…there’s nothing I can do right now to get you out of here.”

Betty sighs, leaning her forehead against the fence again. “I know. I just…I don’t know how much longer I can stand being locked up here. Without you.”

Jughead’s gut tightens painfully. “I know,” he whispers, wanting more than anything to pull her close. It’s painful, how much he misses her. This past summer, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other—always touching, always kissing, always _together._ But now that it’s been over two weeks since he was able to do any of that, he’s starved for her touch and her comfort. 

He yawns loudly, and Betty giggles. “Go get some sleep, Jughead,” she teases, but her smile is laced with sadness. He’s leaving. And who knows when he’ll be back? Who knows what could possibly happen in Riverdale or in Toledo to prevent them from meeting again? It pains him, but he knows he has to leave. Until he figures out a way to get her out of there, at least. 

“I’ll see you soon, Betty,” he murmurs, and she squeezes her eyes shut like if she doesn’t watch him leave, he’ll still be there. 

His fingers graze her jaw through the fence and then he’s kissing her as best he can. It’s an extremely awkward kiss, to say the least, their faces squashed up against the fence. But it’s the easiest way to say goodbye and once they’ve parted, he’s able to step away. It’s not easy, but he does it. 

“Love you, Juggie,” she says, finding his fingers through the fence and squeezing. There are tears in her eyes but she’s stubborn, and so they stay pooled up along her bottom lashes. 

“Love you, Betts,” is his reply. He steps back again, just one more step, and they lock eyes. There’s so much he wants to say, but the words dry up on his tongue. He can only hope that Betty understands by the look he gives her. 

“I’ll see you soon,” he repeats, and she smiles slightly, giving him permission to go. He forces his feet to carry him back toward his father and toward their motorcycles. 

Jughead’s fingers are numb as he straps the helmet with the golden crown onto his head. It’s not from the cold—in fact, it’s a comfortable temperature outside. No, he’s numb because he feels like he’s doing something wrong by leaving Betty here, even though he repeatedly promises himself he’ll come back for her. 

He glances over his shoulder at the fence. Betty is still there, evidently watching him as he leaves. She wiggles her fingers at him in farewell, a small smile on her face, but she looks so alone that Jughead almost hops off of his bike and runs over to her. Almost. 

FP is waiting patiently, apparently understanding the difficulty of the situation his son is going through. It takes a few seconds of stalling before Jughead gathers the courage and revs the engine of his motorcycle. It’s pretty loud, and again Jughead hopes that the policemen don’t come to investigate. If they do, he hopes Betty is long gone by then. 

Jughead follows FP back toward Toledo, hopping back on the road after a minute of riding through the forest to avoid detection. His thoughts are scattered, and he’s replaying the short visit with Betty in his mind, refusing to let go. 

_Like Romeo and Juliet,_ he thinks, _but we live happily ever after instead._ He’ll come back for her, he promises.

Always.

**Author's Note:**

> PHEW. This took me so much longer to write than I expected. But if several weeks of writing and editing and writing some more was necessary to complete this, then so be it.
> 
> This is also so much more angsty than I had realized it would be. But this is Riverdale—who can blame me for the internal suffering that’s happening in every word of this story? Okay, that makes it sound super, super sad. I promise it’s not like that. You won’t cry. Probably. I don’t know. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! This is definitely one of my favorites of my work. :) Kudos and comments are always appreciated!! <3
> 
> And also, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!


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